9 Things Your Pediatrician Should Have Told You But Didn’t

As parents, we expect the best from our baby’s pediatrician.

We expect that they will look out for our child and give us the advice we need to take good care of them.

However, just like all other people, pediatricians sometimes fall short.

Sometimes they don’t have enough time to tell us what we need to know, they don’t think it’s important, or they just plain forget to mention these “details”.

Here are some things your pediatrician should have told you but didn’t, and why you need to know them:

Your Pediatrician Should Have Told You The Importance of Iron in your Baby’s Diet

This is one I had never even heard of before reading a few baby nutrition books. Babies need a TON of iron. 7-12 month olds need about 11 milligrams of iron per day, which is as much as a teenage boy and 3 milligrams more then most adults need every day. By body weight, that’s a ton. Why do you need to know that? Well-

According to the WHO- 23% of 8 month old babies are iron deficient!

And since Iron is a vital nutrient for the growth and development, your baby can really suffer if they don’t get enough.

Iron deficiency can cause pale skin, fatigue, poor appetite, and even behavioral problems. It can negatively affect your child’s cognitive, motor, and their rapidly developing social skills.

Making sure your baby is getting enough iron is absolutely essential.

Your Pediatrician Probably Didn’t Tell You About Life Threatening Swing Sets

Putting your baby on a swingset can be a fun way to bond with them and stimulate their senses, but it can also pose a risk of brain damage.

One of the main causes of brain damage in babies is traumatic brain injury (TBI), which occurs when a sudden force or impact damages the brain tissue.

Swinging your baby high, fast, or roughly can cause this kind of brain damage, this is especially a danger if your baby is not securely strapped in or if they fall off the swing.

This danger tapers off significantly once your baby reaches the age of 2.

For this reason alone, me and my husband have decided to keep our little one off the swings until she that age.

The Importance of Getting Tongue and Lip Ties Removed

If you or your provider finds a tongue or lip tie on your child and your pediatrician says it’s nothing to worry about. Please, PLEASE, I’m begging you, get a second opinion.

My baby had a severe lip tie. We had noticed the lip tie when she was a newborn but we were assured it was nothing to worry about because (even though it hurt to breastfeed) she had been gaining weight well.

So we did nothing. Until, despite being ahead on all her other milestones, our baby wasn’t speaking or sleeping well at night for over a year. Getting her lip tie removed helped resolve both of those issues.

The Value of Having Your Baby Evaluated for Lip and Tongue Ties

Not having them removed can cause:

• Difficulty with breastfeeding, bottle-feeding, or eating solid foods. Lip and tongue ties can prevent a baby from latching properly, sucking effectively, or swallowing comfortably. This can lead to nipple pain, low milk supply, poor weight gain, colic, reflux, or early weaning. For older children and adults, lip and tongue ties can make it hard to chew, bite, or swallow certain foods. I can attest to this one. I didn’t have my severe lip tie removed until I was 9 years old. I remember vividly struggling to chew -carrots of all things!
• Speech and language delays or difficulties. (As was discussed before) Lip and tongue ties can limit the ability to produce certain sounds that require the lips or tongue to touch the teeth, gums, or roof of the mouth. This can affect the clarity, fluency, and accuracy of speech. It can also interfere with the development of language skills and communication abilities.
• Oral health problems. Lip and tongue ties can make it challenging to clean the teeth and gums properly. This can increase the risk of tooth decay, gum disease, bad breath, or tooth spacing. Lip and tongue ties can also cause abnormal wear and tear on the teeth and jaw joints.
• Social and emotional issues. Lip and tongue ties can affect the appearance and function of the lips and tongue, which can impact the self-esteem and confidence of a person if left until adulthood.
•  They can also limit the ability to express emotions, kiss, or play musical instruments that involve the mouth.

Your Pediatrician Probably Didn’t Tell You The Danger of Throwing Your Child in the Air

It’s what many people think of when they think of parenthood. A loving father dotingly throwing his infant into the air, giggles fill the air as the baby flys upwards and then falls downwards, gently caught by dad’s loving arms.

What’s not to love?

Well, there’s something being left out of this beautiful mental picture. It’s the part that makes it not-so-beautiful after all.

The consequences

This seemingly harmless activity can be seriously dangerous for little ones.

• It can cause neck strain or injury: Babies have large and heavy heads in proportion to their bodies, and weak neck muscles that cannot support them well. Throwing them up in the air can cause their heads to whip back and forth, putting stress on their necks and spine. This can result in neck strain, sprain, or even fracture.
• It can damage their brain: Babies have fragile and developing brains that are vulnerable to trauma. Throwing them up in the air can cause their brains to bounce inside their skulls, damaging the blood vessels, nerves, and tissues. This can lead to bleeding, swelling, or oxygen deprivation in the brain, which can cause permanent brain damage or death.
• It can increase the risk of falling: Throwing a baby up in the air means letting go of them for a brief moment. This creates a possibility of dropping them or missing them when they fall back down. Falling from a height can cause serious injury.
• It can negatively affect their emotional development: Babies need to feel safe and secure to form healthy attachments and trust. Throwing them in the air can make them feel a panic, fear, stress and anxiety. This could potentially lead to damaging emotional development and their relationship with you.

Just as with the danger of swings mentioned earlier, this danger of brain and other damage significantly declines at around 2 years of age. For liability reasons, I am not recommending you do it. But use that information as you will.

If you’re interested in an alternative: lift your baby gently and at a moderate speed above your head without letting go of them. This is what we do with our little girl, and let me tell you, she absolutely loves it. It’s even more of a hit when you combine funny sounds, songs, or the classic “three, two, one!” Countdown!

The Importance of Using the Right Sunscreen

Non-mineral sunscreens are sunscreens that contain chemical ingredients that absorb the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays and convert them into heat. Some of these ingredients, such as oxybenzone, octinoxate, and avobenzone, have been shown to have negative effects on a baby’s hormone and reproductive health. Here is how non-mineral sunscreens can harm a baby’s endocrine system and fertility:

• Non-mineral sunscreens can act as hormone disruptors, which are chemicals that interfere with the body’s natural hormone production and balance. Some of these chemicals can mimic the effect of estrogen, the female sex hormone, or block the action of testosterone, the male sex hormone. This can cause problems such as early puberty, abnormal breast development, reduced sperm quality and quantity, and increased risk of reproductive cancers¹²³.
• Non-mineral sunscreens can also affect the development and function of the reproductive organs, such as the ovaries, testes, uterus, and prostate. Some of these chemicals can alter the expression of genes that regulate the growth and differentiation of these organs¹²³. This can lead to abnormalities such as ovarian cysts, testicular dysgenesis, uterine fibroids, and prostate enlargement¹²³.
• Non-mineral sunscreens can also cross the placenta and affect the fetus during pregnancy. Some of these chemicals can disrupt the development of the brain, nervous system, and reproductive system of the unborn child¹²³. This can result in birth defects, low birth weight, cognitive impairment, and behavioral problems¹²³.

So what can you do?

You can opt for sunscreens composed of physical rather than chemical barriers. These consist of titanium oxide and zinc. Read your labels carefully and try to only use these physical barrier sunscreens for your babies, toddlers and for yourself too -especially if you are pregnant!

Your Pediatrician Should Have Told You What to do if Your Baby is Missing Milestones

Most providers are pretty busy so your child’s visit may seem exceptionally short. This might not really give you the sort of time you need to fully explain concerns you have. Even if you voice concerns, they may be brushed off.

If you are worried about your child’s milestones and your provider doesn’t seem to think its a big deal. If you KNOW something is off, get a new provider.

Why?

Because early intervention is essential. The earlier action is taken, the less behind your child will fall. Giving your child more time to catch up with appropriate treatment

Some worry they will look like hypochondriacs, but I see it this way; if you’re right, you’re making sure your child gets care they need. If you’re wrong, you waste some time and probably some money- but you won’t have to wonder “Is something wrong?” Peace of mind and KNOWING beyond a doubt that you’re taking excellent care of your baby is well worth a little wasted time and money- at least in my mind.

Steps You Can Take If Your Baby is Missing Milestones:

• Keep track of your child’s development using a checklist or an app that shows the typical milestones for each age group. You can find some examples of these tools at CDC’s Developmental Milestones or Cleveland Clinic.
• Talk to your child’s pediatrician about your concerns and ask for a developmental screening.
• If your child needs more testing, follow up with the recommended specialists and services, such as a developmental pediatrician, a neurologist, a psychologist, a speech therapist, an occupational therapist, or a physical therapist.
• Support your child’s development at home by providing them with plenty of play, reading, talking to them, singing to them, and praise it them.

If you are looking for some interesting things to do with your toddler: have a look at this article

The Consequences of Screen Time

This one isn’t what you think, I promise!

I’m not someone on a tyraid about how you should never let your child watch TV. I reluctantly admit that’s something that happens in my own house- daily.

What you do need to know, though, is that screen time can have an incredibly detrimental effect on your babies eyes. And this isn’t some wives-tale, The American Academy of Ophthalmology recommends “no media use in children younger than 18-24 months of age” and “very limited screen time for children for several years after that” due to a variety of health concerns associated with screen time but namely the increased risk of myopia or nearsightedness.

Screen time can actually permanently damage the way your babies eyes develop, and create life-long nearsightedness.

While I personally feel it’s almost impossible to keep your child COMPLETELY off all devices for so long, this knowledge has REALLY helped motivate me to keep my baby away from the screens as much as I possibly can. (While also maintaining my sanity.)

Your Pediatrician Probably Forgot to Mention The Repercussions of Noisy Toys

They can have negative consequences for babies and toddlers, especially on their behavior and milestone development. Some of the ways noisy toys can affect babies and toddlers are:

• They can interfere with their attention span and concentration, making it harder for your baby to learn new skills and explore their environment.
• Noisy toys can distract them from social interactions with people around them, reducing their opportunities bonding for language development.
• They can overstimulate them and cause them to become agitated, restless, or aggressive. This one is the kicker for me. My toddler gets WAY overstimulated by loud toys.
• The deafening sound some of these toys can make are extremely grating. Therefore, not great for mom and dad’s mental health.
• Not to mention if those blaring toys are held close enough to babies ears, this can cause hearing loss!

For these reasons, we keep the noise-making toys in our (very small) home to a bear minimum. Again, I don’t really think these types of toys can be avoided all-together in modern life, but kept to a minimum the likelihood of these negative consequences diminishes.

Your Pediatrician Probably Didn’t Tell You— That You Have Options

If you are at all dissatisfied with your pediatrician, even if they’ve been the family doctor for decades. If they are not giving you the information you need or giving your child the care you know they deserve. You can drop them. As hard as it can be to find a good provider for your child, if you never even start the search for one, you will never find one. That being said, if you love your doctor and want to stay with them, open and honest conversations can always be had, and perhaps these would put you at ease or even solve any problems you had in the first place.

Either way, I dearly hope that this you have found this to be informative and even enjoyable!

I also hope that knowing these things can help you make better decisions for your child’s health and well-being.

Also, just a side note, this is not a bash against all pediatricians. Just some things they might have forgotten to tell you. I highly recommend always keeping a good pediatrician in your back pocket so they can help take care of your precious little one. Your pediatrician is a valuable source of information and support for your child’s care. You should always consult with them if you have any questions or concerns about your child’s health.

Resources:

(1 & 4) The science of sunscreen – Harvard Health.

(2) Some Sunscreen Ingredients May Disrupt Sperm Cell Function.

(3) How Sunscreen Can Affect Your Health and Hormones.

(5) How to Choose a Non-Toxic Sunscreen That Actually

Thanks bunches for reading! Have a lovely day!

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